Couple charged in Pottsgrove teen pedestrian death

Robert Norman Sitler Jr. was sent to Montgomery County Prison in lieu of $1 million cash bail on charges of homicide by vehicle, insurance fraud, false reports, corruption of minors, conspiracy, reckless driving, speeding and other related charges. Photo by John Strickler/The Mercury

NORRISTOWN — A Perkiomen man and his girlfriend allegedly lied to police, and urged others to lie on their behalf, about who was behind the wheel of a pickup truck that fatally struck a Pottsgrove High School student in Lower Pottsgrove, according to prosecutors.

Robert Norman Sitler Sr., 43, was arraigned Monday before District Court Judge Edward C. Kropp Sr. on charges of homicide by vehicle, insurance fraud, unsworn falsification to authorities, false reports, corruption of minors, conspiracy, reckless driving, and speeding in connection with the 8:55 p.m. Nov. 12 crash that claimed the life of 16-year-old Timothy Anthony Paciello Jr., who was crossing East High Street near Sunnyside Avenue in Lower Pottsgrove.

Sitler and Dinnocenti resided together in the 300 block of Countryside Court in Perkiomen with Dinnocenti’s two children.

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“I have spent some time with the victim’s family. This was a stellar young man that had huge potential to do great things in life and these actions by the defendants have caused incredible pain to a family that has lost a loving son,” Montgomery County First Assistant District Attorney Kevin Steele said Monday while announcing the arrests.

With the charges, detectives alleged Dinnocenti and Sitler told authorities that Dinnocenti was operating the 2007 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that struck Paciello when it was really Sitler who was operating the vehicle. Dinnocenti, authorities alleged, claimed she was the driver because Sitler was involved in a 2004 pedestrian crash in Alabama, for which he was convicted of vehicular homicide/manslaughter, and because Sitler had consumed “a drink or two” prior to getting behind the wheel of the Silverado.

Authorities alleged Dinnocenti and Sitler also instructed Dinnocenti’s two minor children, who were seated in the rear of the pickup truck at the time of the crash, to lie to police and to say that Dinnocenti was driving.

“There will be no awards for ‘Mother of the Year’ for her,” said Steele, referring to Dinnocenti.

“These actions of not taking responsibility, blaming others, getting children to lie show what kind of people we are dealing with,” Steele added.

Sitler remains in the county jail in lieu of $1 million cash bail. Dinnocenti remains free on $100,000 unsecured bail. Each faces a preliminary hearing before Kropp at 10 a.m. Dec. 21.

Paciello, a Pottsgrove High School student, was airlifted by medical helicopter to Hahnemann University Hospital after the crash and was pronounced dead at 10:09 p.m., according to court papers. An autopsy subsequently determined Paciello died of multiple blunt impact injuries.

At the time he was killed, Paciello reportedly was on his way home from his girlfriend’s house as he attempted to cross East High Street, from the Sunoco station side of the street to the shopping center side, according to the arrest affidavit.

Investigators determined Paciello was able to make it halfway across East High Street and was standing in the center left turn only lane, waiting for eastbound traffic to clear, when he was struck by the westbound Silverado, operated by Sitler.

Authorities alleged Sitler, who was tailgating a westbound minivan, pulled into the center left turn only lane and accelerated to pass the minivan when its driver activated a turn signal to turn right onto Sunnyside Avenue. Sitler allegedly struck Paciello with the front center of the Silverado.

“It is not a lane for passing in,” Steele alleged, referring to the left turn only lane.

At the time of the crash, Sitler was driving Dinnocenti to a scheduled 9 p.m. dance class in the Nagle Center on Moser Road, about one mile from the crash site, court documents revealed.

Sitler pulled into a nearby shopping center after the crash and that is where the conspiracy was hatched, authorities alleged. When police arrived on the scene, Sitler and Dinnocenti reported Dinnocenti was the operator of the vehicle and that Sitler was the front seat passenger, according to the arrest affidavit filed by county Detective David Schanes and Lower Pottsgrove Police Officer Matthew Meitzler.

Dinnocenti even consented to a routine blood test for intoxication of alcohol or drugs, court documents indicate. While Dinnocenti was taken to a local hospital for the blood test, Sitler remained at the crash scene and spoke to police.

At that time, police detected an odor of alcohol on Sitler’s breath and Sitler told authorities that he “had a few beers” and that Dinnocenti “had nothing,” according to the criminal complaint.

The investigation determined that the pickup truck was traveling between 50 mph and 60 mph at the time of impact. East High Street in the area of the crash is posted 35 mph, detectives said.

The drive of the minivan that Sitler had been following told investigators that the Silverado was “tailgating her” as they traveled westbound on East High Street, shortly before the crash and that she was afraid the Silverado would run into her, according to the arrest affidavit.

During the investigation, authorities noticed inconsistencies in the statements provided by Dinnocenti and Sitler.

“We are very blessed here in Montgomery County to have law enforcement officers that are experts in crash reconstruction. The detectives did a thorough investigation and reviewed a number of statements and based upon inconsistencies that they saw they re-interviewed the defendants, who then eventually admitted their involvement,” Steele alleged.

Dinnocenti eventually stated “she had said she was the driver because of Sitler’s past criminal history and she did not want Sitler to get in trouble,” according to the criminal complaint.

“Dinnocenti stated she had told the children to lie about the crash if asked so that Sitler would not get into trouble,” investigators alleged in the criminal complaint.

When he was re-interviewed, Sitler allegedly admitted to being the driver and that he did not want to get into trouble because of his driving history. Sitler allegedly advised detectives that he had struck and killed a pedestrian in 2004 in Alabama and that he served jail time in connection with the incident, according to the arrest affidavit.

Court documents indicate the 2004 crash occurred in Baldwin County, Alabama, and that Sitler was convicted of homicide/manslaughter in connection with that pedestrian fatality.

Sitler eventually told police he drank about three 12 ounce cans of beer sometime between 5:30 and 7 p.m. prior to the Nov. 12 crash, court documents indicate. However, Sitler’s admission is not sufficient evidence to also charge him with DUI in connection with the crash.

“So we will use all of the other serious charges that we have in this case to make sure that the defendant is brought to justice for what he has done,” Steele said.

With the charges, prosecutors further alleged Sitler filed a claim with his insurance company on Nov. 13, in which he and Dinnocenti each falsely claimed that Dinnocenti was the driver of the striking vehicle.

LOWER POTTSGROVE -- A Collegeville couple were arraigned Monday afternoon on charges of vehicular homicide and providing false information to authorities after lying about who was driving Nov. 12 when their vehicle struck and killed a 16-year-old Pottsgrove student on East High Street.

Robert Norman Sitler Jr. was sent to Montgomery County Prison in lieu of $1 million cash bail on charges of homicide by vehicle, insurance fraud, false reports, corruption of minors, conspiracy, reckless driving, speeding and other related charges.

Court records indicate Sitler was driving when his vehicle struck Timothy Anthony Paciello Jr. as he was crossing East High Street at Sunnyside Avenue.

Sitler and Denise Dinnocenti conspired to claim she was driving because Sitler has a 2004 conviction in Alabama for vehicle homicide/manslaughter in a pedestrian crash death, court records state.

Dinnocenti was charged with making false reports, insurance fraud, conspiracy, corruption of minors and related charges and released on $100,000 unsecured bail.

Court records indicate the two convinced two juveniles in the car with them at the time to lie on their behalf.

NORRISTOWN -- Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and Lower Pottsgrove Police Chief Michael Foltz Monday announced the arrest of Robert Norman Sitler Jr. and Denise Dinnocenti, both of Collegeville, for lying about who was driving when their vehicle struck and killed 16-year-old Pottsgrove High School student Timothy Anthony Paciello Jr.

Paciello was killed Nov. 12 while trying to cross East High Street at Sunnyside Avenue in Sanatoga.

According to a press release from the district attorney’s office, Sitler was driving the vehicle that struck Paciello. Sitler and Dinnocenti conspired to say Dinnocenti was driving because Sitler has a 2004 conviction for vehicle homicide-manslaughter for a pedestrian crash death in Alabama.

The following account was given by police on Monday:

“On Nov. 12, 2012, at around 8:55 p.m., Timothy was crossing E. High Street near the intersection of Sunnyside Avenue. Timothy had walked across the westbound lane and had paused in the center left turn only lane waiting for east bound traffic to clear. A vehicle being operated by Robert Sitler was traveling westbound on E. High Street tailgating another vehicle. As both vehicles approached the intersection of Sunnyside Avenue the vehicle in front signaled a right turn. Sitler veered into the center left turn only lane, accelerated and passed the vehicle in front of him. While passing the vehicle Sitler struck Timothy.

Following the crash Denise Dinnocenti identified herself to bystanders and responding police officers as the operator of the vehicle. Dinnocenti provided a written statement to police identifying herself as the operator of the vehicle. She stated she was operating Sitler’s vehicle because she knew where they were going and Sitler had consumed several beers. Robert Sitler also provided a written statement to police in which he identified Denise Dinnocenti as the operator of the vehicle. Sitler also stated Dinnocenti was operating his vehicle because she knew where she was going and he had consumed a few beers. Two juveniles were also in the striking vehicle sitting in the back seat.

“Through an extensive follow up investigation to the crash on November 12th, it was determined that Robert Sitler was the operator of the vehicle and Denise Dinnocenti was actually the front seat passenger. On Saturday November 17, 2012 Dinnocenti and Sitler were re–interviewed. During the second interview Dinnocenti and Sitler both admitted to providing false information about who really was the driver that struck Timothy. Both eventually also admitted to instructing the juveniles to lie to the police and say Dinnocenti was driving and not Sitler.

“Following the crash, Sitler pulled into a shopping center away from the scene of the crash. While in the shopping center Sitler and Dinnocenti conspired with each other. Dinnocenti agreed to report that she was the driver and not Sitler. Dinnocenti agreed to do this because Sitler was involved in a pedestrian crash in 2004 in Alabama, in which Sitler was convicted of Vehicle Homicide-Manslaughter and because of the fact that Sitler had consumed a few beers prior to driving. On the day after the crash Sitler and Dinnocenti filed a claim with an insurance company. They both reported that Dinnocenti was the operator of the vehicle.”

About the Author

Carl Hessler Jr. writes about crime and justice at the Montgomery County Courthouse for The Mercury and 21st Century Media Newspaper’s Greater Philadelphia area publications. A native of Reading, he studied at Penn State University and Kutztown University before graduating from Alvernia University with a degree in communications. He is a recipient of a National Headliner Award and has been honored for his writing by the Keystone Press Association, Philadelphia Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and the Associated Press Managing Editors of Pennsylvania. Reach the author at chessler@pottsmerc.com
or follow Carl on Twitter: @MontcoCourtNews.